On 4/5/2011 11:24 AM, Brandon Ooi wrote:
Afaik 32-bit binaries do run on the 64-bit build and compat libraries exist for most everything. You should evaluate if you really *really* need 32-bit.
Yes, thanks for assuming I don't know what I was talking about when I wrote that we had a hard requirement for 32-bit in this application.
Since you seem to care, we're stuck with 32-bit for this particular server because it needs to use an uncommon PCI card that does have Linux drivers but they only work with 32-bit kernels. The driver will rebuild against a 64-bit kernel, but it oopses it when you try to use it. The card is a legacy design, so no one has bothered to do debug this, and likely no one ever will.
And before you ask, no, there is no direct replacement for this PCI card that does support 64-bit kernels. The path forward is to use an entirely different technology, which is great, but using it requires changing physical infrastructure ($$$) that the server plugs into.
Legacy is hard. Next time someone tells you they can't use the latest and greatest for some reason, you might take them at their word.